Combustion valve assembly for gas lighter



Oct 1965' KENICHI sAKAMo'ro 3,213,649

COMBUSTION VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR GAS LIGHTER Filed Feb. 4, 1964 United States Patent 3,213,649 COMBUSTION VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR GAS LIGHTER Kenichi Sakamoto, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Mansel Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, a corporation of .lapan Filed Feb. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 342,403 Claims priority, application Japan, Feb. 4, 1963, 38/ 6,756 2 Claims. (Cl. 677.1)

The present invention relates to an improved combustion valve assembly for a gas lighter, and more par ticularly to an improved combustion valve assembly for a gas lighter in which the openning of the gas passage can be adjusted from both within and without whereby the size and shape of flame can be easily and finely adjusted.

In a known type combustion valve assembly for a gas lighter, a hollow adjusting member for controlling the gas discharge rate is provided on an upper portion of such a valve assembly and by turning the adjusting member in a desired direction the opening of the gas passage may be varied as desired. In a gas lighter incorporating such a conventional valve assembly, the gas is ignited by manual depression of an operating handle which rotates the ignition wheel, and, at the same time, opens the nozzle cap to uncover the gas spouting bore. The uncovered gas bore permits fuel gas to spout out of the nozzle and rotation of the ignition wheel generates sparks by which the spouting gas is ignited.

However, in such a conventional combustion valve assembly the gas spouting amount or discharge rate can not be finely controlled and in some cases a relatively large amount of gas is caused to spout out of the nozzle. Furthermore, in extreme cases, a low explosive sound is generated when the gas ignites. Such defect-s give the user discomfort, and after the gas lighter has been used for a long period, the gas spouting efiiciency in such a gas lighter becomes unsatisfactory.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve assembly for a gas lighter which can eliminate the above defects.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly for a gas lighter in which the gas spouting amount can be controlled from both within and without.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly for a gas lighter in which the the gas spouting operation can be smoothly carried out.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly for a gas lighter in which the opening of the gas spouting bore of the nozzle can be easily adjusted thereby to control the gas spouting amount and after adjustment of the opening the controlled gas spouting amount can be maintained until readjustment for the amount is made.

The above and other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed explanation of a specific preferred embodiment thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawing:

'In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a gas lighter combustion valve assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention, FIG. 2 is partial sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrates a modified embodiment wherein the elastic valve seat has been eliminated, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adjust screw employed in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, and more specially to FIG. 1 of the same. The valve assembly of the present invention generally comprises a cylindrical casing 1 adapted to be fit into the fuel reservoir casing 2 (only partially shown) of a gas lighter, the casing being provided with a radially and outwardly extending flange 3 at the top thereof and an inner threaded surface, said casing 1 being welded to the reservoir 2 by means of the flange 3. The lower end of the cylindrical casing 1 is radially and inwardly bent so as to provide a radially extending edge 4. The radial edge 4 defines a centrally disposed bore 5 which communicates with the interior of the fuel reservoir. The inner surface of the upper portion of said outer casing '1 is provided with a female thread with which the corresponding male thread portion of an inner casing 6 of the combustion valve is adapted to engage. The inner casing 6 is provided with a reduced diameter cylindrical extension 8 at the lower end extending through the central bore 5 of the outer casing 1 and the inner surface of said extension 8 is provided with a female thread 9 with which an adjusting screw 10 is adapted to engage. An intermediate valve 11 is inserted in the inner casing 6 at the open top end thereof and a hollow adjusting member 12 is adjustably threaded in the inner casing 6 on the top of said intermediate valve 11.

T he intermediate valve 11 is provided with a centrally disposed gas bore or passage 13 at the lower end portion thereby to provide a shoulder portion 13' which acts as a valve seat and said intermediate valve is also provided with a radially and outwardly extending flange :14 at the upper end. A packing material 15 is disposed around the intermediate valve 11 in abutment relation with the bottom surface of the flange 14. The intermediate valve 11 is so inserted into the inner casing 6 that its lower end portion will be disposed within the gas bore 16 of the inner casing 6 whereby the packing 15 is sandwiched between the intermediate valve flange 14 and the radially and inwardly extending abutment edge 17 of the inner casing 6. The hollow adjusting member 12 is adjustably inserted in the inner casing 6 on the top of the intermediate valve 11 so that the lower edge 18 of the adjusting member 12 presses against the flange 14 of the intermediate valve 11 from above.

A gas spouting nozzle 19 having an axially extending gas bore 19' therein is partially inserted into the adjusting member 12. The gas spouting nozzle 19 has an elastic valve 20 on its lower end, an integral outer flange 21 formed at a midpoint along its length, and a transverse communication opening 22 formed above said flange 21 for communication with the axial bore '19. A packing material 23, a washer 24, and a coil spring compressed between said washer 24 and said flange 21 are disposed between the gas spouting nozzle 19 and hollow adjusting member 12 whereby the elastic valve 20 at the lower end of the gas spouting nozzle '19 is always held in depressed condition by the action of the coil spring 25 in cooperation with the packing 23, washer 24 and flange 21 which in turn urges the elastic valve 20 against the valve seat 13 of the intermediate valve 11.

The adjusting screw 10 which is adapted to be threaded into the lower end portion of the inner casing 6 has a radially and outwardly extending flange 26 at the lower end, a male threaded portion 27 above said flange 26, said threaded portion being formed with a pair of symmetric flat side portions 28 in its periphery and a centrally disposed projection 29 extending upwardly from the top of the adjusting screw 10. The adjusting screw 10 is adapted to be adjustably threaded into the lower end portion of inner casing 6, and a suitable porous absorbent medium 31 having a center bore 30, is spread across the top surface of the adjusting screw 10 and the projection 29 is adapted to be inserted through the absorbent medium bore 30. The absorbent material may, for example, be Japanese paper or felt. The adjusting screw is then threaded into the lower end portion of the inner casing 6 while holding both ends of the absorbent medium 31 on the pair of flat side portions 28 of the adjusting screw 10 so that the absorbent medium 31 may be pinched between the top surface of the adjusting screw 10 and the lower end surface of the intermediate valve 11. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, an elastic seat 32 comprising a sheet of rubber or vinyl is disposed over the top surface of the adjusting screw 10 but if desired, such an elastic seat 32 may be eliminated therefrom as seen in FIG. 2.

With the above arrangement of the valve assembly by the present invention, when the nozzle 19 is pushed upwardly against the action of the coil Spring 25, the elastic valve at the lower end of the nozzle 19 is separated from the valve seat 13 of the intermediate valve 11, and accordingly, after passing through the absorbent medium 31, the gas will enter into the intermediate valve 11 at the center gas bore 13 and then pass through the hollow adjusting member 12 and the transverse communication bore 22 of the nozzle 19 into the gas spouting bore 19' of the nozzle, and thereafter spout out of the upper end of the nozzle 19. When an external force acting on the nozzle 19 is removed therefrom, the nozzle 19 is caused to seal the gas bore 13 of the intermediate valve 11 again by the action of the coil spring 25.

According to the present invention, by screwing in or out the adjusting screw 10 along the threaded inner surface of the lower portion of the inner casing 6, the force acting on the absorbent medium 31 pinched between the top surface of the screw 10 and the lower end surface of the intermediate valve 11 may vary accordingly, and as a result, the porosity of the absorbent medium 31 can be changed thereby to make it possible to control the gas spouting amount. Also, by screwing in or out the hollow adjusting member 12 along the inner threaded surface of the upper portion of the inner casing. 6, the force applied by the lower edge portion 18 of the adjusting member 12 upon the intermediate valve 11 can be varied accordingly. Thus, in the novel valve assembly by the present invention, the gas spouting amount can be controlled through the operation of both upper hollow adjusting member 12 and lower adjusting screw 10.

Therefore, if the adjusting screw 10 is partly threaded int-o the inner casing 6 when the gas lighter is partly assembledand is preliminarily adjusted, the completely assembled lighter may be adjusted by the user for smoking purpose after complete assembling through the operation of the hollow adjusting member 12, and in this manner the gas spouting amount can be dually adjusted from both within and without.

Although only specific embodiments of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combustion valve assembly comprising a cylindrical casing having a first bore extending into said casing from one end thereof and a second bore extending into said casing from the other end thereof, said first and second bores being in communication, one with the other, an intermediate valve slidably received in said first bore and having a passage therethrough including a valve seat, an adjusting member adjustably positionable in said first bore and having one end in contact with said intermediate valve, a spouting nozzle having a gas bore therethrough slidably mounted through said adjusting member and extending into said intermediate valve, an elastic valve member secured to said spouting nozzle and adapted to cooperate with said valve seat for controlling the flow of gas therebetween, spring biasing means acting between said adjusting member and said spouting nozzle for urging said elastic valve member toward said valve seat, an adjusting screw adjustably positionable in said second bore and having a top surface in spaced parallel relation with the bottom surface of said intermediate valve, said adjusting screw including means defining at least one passage for the flow of gas to said valve seat and provided with projection means adapted to partially enter the lower end of said valve seat, and an absorbent medium extending through said passage and into the space defined by said adjusting screw top surface and said intermediate valve bottom surface, whereby the volume of said space may be adjusted by adjustment of said adjusting screw to control the pressure applied to said absorbent medium and thereby control the rate of flow of the gas therethrough, said adjusting screw means defining at least one passage comprising a pair of symmetrical flat side portions on the peripheral surface of said adjusting screw, said absorbent medium overlying the top surface of said adjusting screw and passing through the passages defined by each of said flat side portions and the inner wall of said second bore, whereby said absorbent medium may extend into a gas reservoir in which said combustion valve assembly is adapted to be mounted.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and further including elastic seat means overlying the top surface of said adjusting screw and interposed between said top surface and said absorbent medium.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Gehrie 677.l

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application No. 1,117,925, printed 11/61.

German printed application No. 1,156,590, printed 10/63.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, IR., Primary Examiner.

EDWARD 1. MICHAEL, Examiner. 

1. A COMBUSTION VALVE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL CASING HAVING A FIRST BORE EXTENDING INTO SAID CASING FROM ONE END THEREOF AND A SECOND BORE EXTENDING INTO SAID CASING FROM THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID FIRST AND SECOND BORES BEING IN COMMUNICATION, ONE WITH THE OTHER, AN INTERMEDIATE VALVE SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID FIRST BORE AND HAVING A PASAGE THERETHROUGH INCLUDING A VALVE SEAT, AN ADJUSTING MEMBER ADJUSTABLY POSITIONABLE IN SAID FIRST BORE AND HAVING ONE END IN CONTACT WITH SID INTERMEDIATE VALVE, A SPOUTING NOZZLE HAVING A GAS BORE THERETHROUGH SLIDABLY MOUNTED THROUGH SAID ADJUSTING MEMBER AND EXTENDING INTO SAID INTERMEDIATE VALVE, AN ELASTIC VALVE MEMBER SECURED TO SAID SPOUTING NOZZLE AND ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID VALVE SEAT FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF GAS THEREBETWEEN, SPRING BIASING MEANS ACTING BETWEEN SAID ADJUSTING MEMBER AND SAID SPOUTING NOZZLE FOR URGING SAID ELASTIC VALVE MEMBER TOWARD SAID VALVE SEAT, AN ADJUSTING SCREW ADJUSTABLY POSITIONABLE IN SAID SECOND BORE AND HAVING A TOP SURFACE IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION WITH THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID INTERMEDIATE VALVE, SAID ADJUSTING SCREW INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST ONE PASSAGE FOR THE FLOW OF GAS TO SAID VALVE SEAT AND PROVIDED WITH PROJECTION MEANS ADAPTED TO PARTIALLY ENTER THE LOWER END OF SAID VALVE SEAT, AND AN ABOSRBENT MEDIUM EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE AND INTO THE SPACE DEFINED BY SAID ADJUSTING SCREW TOP SURFACE AND SAID SPACE DEFINED BY SAID ADJUSTING SCREW WHEREBY THE VOLUME OF SAID SPACE MAY BE ADJUSTED BY ADJUSTMENT OF SAID ADJUSTING SCREW TO CONTROL THE PRESSURE APPLIED TO SAID ABSORBENT MEDIUM AND THEREBY CONTROL THE RATE OF FLOW OF THE GAS THERETHROUGH, SAID ADJUSTING SCREW MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST ONE PASSAGE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SYMMETRICAL FLAT SIDE PORTIONS ON THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID ADJUSTING SCREW, SAID ABOSRBENT MEDIUM OVERLYING THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID ADJUSTING SCREW AND PASSING THROUGH THE PASSAGES DEFINED BY EACH OF SAID FLAT SIDE PORTION AND THE INNER WALL OF SAID SECOND BORE, WHEREBY SAID ABSORBENT MEDIUM MAY EXTEND INTO A GAS RESERVOIR IN WHICH SAID COMBUSTION VALVE ASSEMBLY IS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED. 